€46.7 Million Of Taxpayer Money To Fund Gladiator Movie Sequel

The Maltese government is prepared to spend €46.7 million in taxpayer funds to support the development of the Gladiator sequel.

Sparking controversy, the amount is the greatest public subsidy for film in the European Union.

The division of Paramount Studios in charge of carrying on Ridley Scott’s legendary movie will benefit from this record-breaking rebate. The money flow comes from the Malta Film Commission’s attractive offer to producers of motion pictures, a tempting 40% payback for selecting Malta as their shooting location.

The Maltese government supports the plan, claiming that by drawing high-profile Hollywood productions, it helps the country’s film sector. They assert that the anticipated multiplier impact could bring millions more into Malta’s economy.

Others warn that only about 50% of the money for large-scale production actually end up in Malta’s coffers. The question still remains, How much of the of the huge sum spent on foreign staff and imported equipment actually serves the locals?

From the staggering €46.7 million set aside for Gladiator, €5 million will go toward paying actors Denzel Washington and Ridley Scott, as well as other popular industry figures, their salaries. Additional millions will go toward paying the wages of hundreds of international crew members and renting expensive filmmaking equipment.

The aftermath? Tens of millions of euros, eligible for the rebate, are funnelled into foreign entities, many of which aren’t liable for local taxes. A stark contrast emerges when compared to the original Gladiator film shot in 1999. That production infused about €21 million into Malta without any rebate schemes.

However Gladiator is not a single incident, this year, Malta’s Film Commission has set aside €69 million for 12 global productions, a number predicted to rise €80 million euro.

Aidan Elliot, the executive producer for Gladiator, labelled the Maltese scheme as “the world’s most generous cash rebate.”

Do you Malta’s film rebate strategy sustainable?